Hey Egoists! Navigating the intense world of Blue Lock: Rivals means mastering every advantage you can get. Flows are game-changers, temporary buffs that can turn the tide of a match. You might have just spun the Lightning Flow, seen its distinctive pink/purple aura, and wondered: “Is this any good?”
Defining Flows: The Basics in Rivals
In Blue Lock: Rivals, “Flows” are special abilities you can activate mid-match (usually by pressing ‘T’ once your flow bar is charged). They provide temporary boosts – enhancing speed, dribbling, defense, or, in Lightning’s case, shooting. They come in different rarities (Rare, Epic, Legendary, etc.), impacting how hard they are to get and often their power level.
Lightning Flow: Core Function & Visuals
- Primary Effect: Increased Shot Power. Plain and simple. Activating Lightning significantly boosts the force behind your kick, allowing shots to travel further and faster than normal. Think launching rockets from midfield!
- Visual Cue: When active, your character gets surrounded by a crackling pink or purple electric aura, and distinctive pink circles may appear around their eyes. It definitely looks cool.
- Personalized Style: Chigiri. This suggests a potential synergy with the speedy winger, which we’ll explore later.
Rarity and Obtaining Lightning
Lightning is classified as a Rare flow. Here’s what that means:
- High Obtain Chance: You have a decent chance (around 62.5% from normal spins, then a 1-in-3 chance among the Rares) of getting Lightning. It’s one of the most common flows you’ll encounter, especially early on.
- Normal Spins Only: You typically get it from standard flow spins, not the ‘Lucky Flow Spins’ which are reserved for higher-tier flows.
So, it’s easy to get, but does easy availability mean it’s weak? Let’s tackle the effectiveness question head-on.
The Big Question: Is Lightning Flow Any Good?
This is where the debate heats up. If you check community resources like tier lists or forum discussions, you’ll find Lightning consistently ranked low.
Where Lightning Stands: Tier List Reality (April 2025)
Most reputable Blue Lock: Rivals flow tier lists place Lightning in the C-Tier or even D-Tier. These are generally the lowest rankings, grouping it with flows considered minimally impactful or highly situational.
Why the Low Ranking? The Limitations Exposed
The core reason for Lightning’s low ranking isn’t that increased shot power is useless, but rather its lack of versatility compared to higher-tier flows. Consider what top flows offer:
- Multi-Buff Power: Flows like Soul Harvester, Demon Wings, or Awakened Genius often provide multiple benefits simultaneously (e.g., speed boost + cooldown reduction + dribble enhancement).
- Game-Changing Mechanics: Some flows offer unique abilities like improved headers, curve shots, or significant defensive buffs that fundamentally change how you can play.
- Synergy Over Specialization: Versatile flows often synergize better with a wider range of character styles and match situations.
Lightning, by contrast, offers only one thing: more powerful shots. In a fast-paced game where speed, dribbling, positioning, and quick ability usage are crucial, a flow that only affects the shot itself is often seen as less valuable than one that helps you get into position, evade defenders, or use your skills more often.
Debunking “Worst Flow”: Nuance vs. Hyperbole
Is it truly the “worst”? Probably not in an absolute sense. A flow that does nothing would be worse. However, in the context of opportunity cost (using Lightning means you can’t use a more versatile flow), it often feels like the least impactful choice for experienced players aiming for optimal performance.
The comment “This ain’t bad…shoot from far away” highlights its specific niche. It’s not useless; it’s just highly specialized and lacks the broad utility of top-tier options.
Okay, so it’s niche. But when exactly can that niche be powerful? If you’re stuck with Lightning or want to experiment, here’s how to make the most of it:
The Long-Range Bomb: Its Primary Niche
This is Lightning’s bread and butter. Activate it when:
- Catching the Goalkeeper Off-Guard: You see the opposing GK creeping too far out? A Lightning-powered blast from distance can surprise them.
- Quick Counter-Attacks: Your team wins the ball back deep, and you have a brief window before the defense sets up. No time to dribble closer? Lightning lets you attempt a viable shot from further out.
- Breaking Through Packed Defenses: If the opponent has everyone clogging the box, sometimes launching a powerful shot from range is your best bet to sneak one through traffic or force a rebound.
- Pressured Situations: As one player noted, if you’re being heavily marked far from goal, activating Lightning allows a potentially dangerous shot where a normal shot would be easily blocked or saved.
Key Concept: Lightning turns otherwise low-percentage long shots into credible threats. Test its range in practice mode to get a feel for just how far you can shoot effectively!
Pairing with Playstyles: The Chigiri Synergy
Lightning is Chigiri’s Personalized Style. Why? While Chigiri is known for speed, perhaps the idea is:
- Use Chigiri’s speed to break away and create space far from defenders.
- Activate Lightning to unleash a powerful shot from that created space, negating the need to dribble all the way into the crowded box.
It can complement a speed-focused playstyle by providing the finishing power from range once space is made.
Compensating for Weaknesses
If you’re using a character Style that naturally lacks high shot power, Lightning can act as a temporary equalizer, giving you a shooting threat you wouldn’t normally possess.
When Not to Rely on Lightning
- Close-Range Scenarios: If you’re already in the box, the extra power is often overkill and might even hurt accuracy. You’d be better off with a Flow boosting dribbling or speed to secure a better angle.
- Needing Mobility: If the main challenge is getting past defenders or reaching the ball first, Flows enhancing speed, stamina, or dribbling are far more valuable.
- Team Play Focus: If your role involves more passing and setting up teammates, other Flows will likely serve you better.
Should You Keep or Reroll Lightning Flow?
Given its niche usability and low tier ranking, the decision often comes down to your progress and goals.
The Beginner’s Perspective
If you’re new to Blue Lock: Rivals and just pulled Lightning, it’s okay to use it for a while. It’s simple to understand, lets you experiment with powerful shots, and frankly, any flow is better than no flow when you’re starting. Learn its basic function and have some fun launching long bombs!
The Veteran’s Choice
For more experienced players aiming to climb ranks and optimize their build, rerolling Lightning is generally recommended. The value provided by Epic, Legendary, or even other Rare flows with multiple or more impactful buffs (like cooldown reduction or speed) is usually significantly higher in competitive play. Holding onto Lightning long-term will likely put you at a disadvantage against players with more versatile Flow options.
How to Reroll
If you decide to ditch Lightning, you can try for a new Flow by:
- Going to the Flow menu in the lobby.
- Spending in-game Cash (around 2,000) or using a Flow Spin item.
Keep spinning until you land something higher up the tier list!
To put it simply: the current Blue Lock: Rivals meta (as of April 2025) favors versatility and multiple synergistic buffs. Flows that enhance movement, reduce cooldowns, improve dribbling, and potentially add some offensive power are highly valued.
Lightning, with its solitary focus on shot power, doesn’t fit this versatile meta well. While its effect is potent in its specific niche (long shots), that niche isn’t always relevant or the most optimal way to score compared to using a multi-buff flow to outplay opponents up close.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Significantly Increased Shot Power & Range | Single Buff Only (Lacks Versatility) |
| Good for Long-Range Surprise Shots | Low Tier Ranking (C/D Tier) |
| Easy to Obtain (Rare Rarity) | Less Impactful than Multi-Buff Flows |
| Simple to Understand & Use | Not Ideal for Close Range or Mobility Needs |
| Synergy with Speed Styles (Chigiri) | Opportunity Cost (Could Use a Better Flow) |
Conclusion: The Final Verdict on Lightning Flow
The Lightning Flow in Blue Lock: Rivals is an easily obtainable Rare flow that provides one specific buff: increased shot power. Its pink/purple aura looks striking, and it allows for significantly longer and faster shots than normal.
However, due to its lack of versatility compared to higher-tier flows offering multiple buffs (speed, cooldowns, dribbling), it consistently ranks low (C/D Tier) in community tier lists.
Is it useless? No. It has a clear strategic niche for long-range shots, catching keepers off guard, scoring during quick counters, or compensating for low base shot power. It can synergize decently with fast characters like Chigiri who create space from distance.
Should you keep it?
- Beginners: It’s fine to use initially while learning the ropes.
- Experienced Players: You’ll likely gain a significant advantage by rerolling it and aiming for a more versatile Epic, Legendary, or even top-tier Rare flow.
Ultimately, Lightning Flow is a stepping stone. It offers a taste of Flow power with a simple, focused buff. Have fun with it if you get it early, but don’t hesitate to seek out more meta-defining Flows as you progress on your journey to become the ultimate egoist striker!
